Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Okay, so in my experiment, I put daphnia (small aquatic microorganisms) into solutions of water mixed with a green (earth-friendly) cleaner OR a traditional cleaner. The two cleaners I used are Chlorox Green Works Natural All-Purpose Cleaner and Fantastik Oxy Power Cleaner. My hypothesis was that the daphnia would live longer in the solution of water and green cleaner than the water and traditional cleaner. My results- the exact opposite! How could the daphnia survive longer in a regular cleaner than a 99.93% natural cleaner? What could be a cause for this?

Hi!
In order to figure out the possible cause of this, you should probably look into the ingredients of each cleaner and research the typical environment of Daphnia in which they grow the best. If all else fails, repeat the experiment again, and see if you get the same results! Also, let us know what your exact procedure was so we can perhaps pinpoint a specific problem with your procedure which led you to these results. Good luck!

Hi binklech,
Commercial labels about "natural" ingredients can be easily misinterpreted, or even misleading. The term is used to sell products, and it does not necessarily relate to the toxicity of those products for humans or for other organisms. Consider, for example, that alcohol is 100% natural, but is fairly toxic to Daphnia (and people). "Chlorox Green Works Natural All-Purpose Cleaner" contains "corn-based ethanol" which is alcohol. The cleaner may also contain other ingredients that are toxic to daphnia, such as the "biodegradable preservatives".
http://www.greenworkscleaners.com/produ ... hp?id=napc
Good luck!
Chris

Thank you soooo much! This really helped me write my conclusion

I'm glad it helped. Please let us know how it all turns out.